STORY HIGHLIGHTS

People in India will start seeing a step-by-step guide to add an optional profile picture guard.

Facebook plans to offer such new tools in other countries based on what it learns in India.

Facebook has introduced new security features for women using the social media platform in India, including the ability to prevent strangers from downloading their profile pictures.

Research by the social media giant found that some Indian women were reluctant to show their faces in their profile pictures, fearing the images could be misused.

"Based on preliminary tests, we’ve learned that when someone adds an extra design layer to their profile picture, other people are at least 75 per cent less likely to copy that picture," said Facebook.

In response, Facebook teamed up with local activists to develop two tools that offer women greater control over their profiles and "help keep them safe online," wrote product manager Aarati Soman on the company's blog.

The first safeguard - identified by a small shield and blue border on the image - prevents strangers from downloading, sharing or tagging themselves in someone else's profile picture, or taking a screen shot of the image.

"People in India will start seeing a step-by-step guide to add an optional profile picture guard," said Facebook in the blog post.

The second overlays an additional design on the image that research shows dissuades people from making a copy of the image, Soman added.

Facebook plans to offer these tools in other countries based on what it learns in India.

"These tools will be available to both men and women as they continue to roll out more broadly," a Facebook spokesman told AFP.

Facebook has 184 million active monthly users in India, its second-largest market after the United States.